New Millennium Computers' Technology Blog brings you the latest technology news about computers, gadgets and the World Wide Web; software tips and tricks and introductions to interesting topics such as social media and online privacy/safety issues.
Many of us have old computers, cellphones, empty printer toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries or other electronics that are broken or unused but have no idea how or where we can dispose of them. Ideally, we should "e-cycle" these electronics to ensure that toxins such as lead in these devices do not end up in our landfills.
The EPA advises that "computers and electronic equipment that still work, but are obsolete, may be suitable for reuse. Equipment that does not work and is not repairable, or is so obsolete that it can't be reused, can be disassembled for the scrap value of various components. Printed circuit boards and wiring may contain recoverable quantities of precious metals and base metals; frames and cases may contain recyclable steel or plastic; monitors and TV's contain tubes that are made of leaded glass and can be recycled or smelted for recovery of lead."
For our clients in New York City, click here to review the guidelines for proper disposal of electronics. Click here for a list of local manufacturers and retailers that have electronics recycling programs including Apple, Samsung, Best Buy, Radio Shack and Staples. The NYC Stuff Exchange has a calendar of events where you can sell or donate your old equipment.
For our readers outside of New York City, please check with your town or city to learn their guidelines for recycling electronics and to find information on electronics recycling events where you may be able to donate old but usable equipment to a school or community center that can use it.
If you are e-cycling or donating a computer, you should take measures to ensure that personal and sensitive financial information is wiped from the computer's hard drive beforehand to prevent identity theft.
If you are looking to recycle or give away your old computer, you should take care to first remove all personal information from your hard rive to prevent identity theft.
If your computer is still in working order, we recommend a software called Wipe Drive which erases all of the sectors of a hard drive so no traces of data can be found. Also another good tool is Hiren's Boot CD which is a package of troubleshooting utilities, one of which is an Active Kill Disk utility which allows for a complete reformat of your hard drive.
If a Windows based computer is not functional, follow these steps to erase your old hard drive by reformatting the drive:
Open the computer and remove the hard drive from the non-functioning computer.
Put the old hard drive into a working computer from which you should have already removed the existing hard drive.
Next, use software such as Wipe Drive to erase the hard drive but remember to create a bootable CD to boot up this software to completely reformat the hard drive.
Place the old hard drive into an empty external hard drive casing that has a USB cable and a power cord.
Connect the back end of the power and USB cable to the back of the external drive then plug the power cord into a surge protector or electrical outlet.
Connect the USB cable to a working computer.
Wait for the computer to recognize the hard drive then click on the my computer icon to open it up then right click on the external drive which will probably show up as the E: drive.
Left click on "Format" in the Windows menu to complete the reformatting of your old hard drive.
New Millennium Computers is also available to assist in erasing your hard drive before discarding or giving it away. Please call us at (212) 851-8426 for more information or to set up an appointment.
If you are upgrading your computer's hard drive or have purchased a new computer, you no doubt are looking for a quick way to get the files from your old hard drive or computer to your new one. One of the easiest and most secure ways to get this done is to start by backing up your old data online using a software such as Remote Data Backups which stores your personal data securely at two remote facilities.
If you are running Office 2003 on your computer but want to open a document that was created using Office 2007, you will notice that the file extensions on the document now include an "x" such as .docx, .xlsx or .pptx. Because of the different file extensions, your Office 2007 files are incompatible with Office 2003 and you will not be able to open and edit those files.
To resolve your compatibility issues, Microsoft provides a free compatibility pack to convert Office 2007 documents to the Office 2003 format. There are many free, third-party converters available online but NMC recommends that you use the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack.
Follow these steps to download and install the free Microsoft Compatibility Pack:
Log on to your computer, ensure that you have administrative rights.
Ensure your system is up to date with all Windows updates and service packs.
In case you didn't know, Microsoft Office is more that just Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. Get acquainted with the latest versions of the other programs in the Microsoft Office Suite:
Outlook (2007 / 2010) - New features include mapping of contact addresses and the Social Connector which allows you to connect with sites like Facebook and LinkedIn from your inbox.
Once used primarily to create formal business presentations, Microsoft's PowerPoint is now used not only in businesses but also in schools by educators and students, by trainers of all kinds and even in the US military! Here are some easy to follow video demonstrations to help you get up to speed with the latest versions of PowerPoint:
Today we will share some links to help you get to acquainted with the 2007 and 2010 versions of Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft Access:
If you a moving from the 2003 version of Access to the 2007 version, Microsoft offers an interactive (and downloadable) command reference guide to help you get acquainted with the new ribbon layout and upgraded features.
The latest Word programs have great new features, we blogged previously about using Word 2007 as a tool for blogging. For articles and video how-to's for accomplishing specific tasks like blogging using your Word software, check out the Word support page. Here are a few to help you get started:
If you've recently purchased a new PC with Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010, you will have noticed that programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint look quite a bit different from their previous versions. The first change you'll notice is the "ribbon" which now appears at the top of your window instead of the menus and toolbars. Here's some help from Microsoft to help you get up to speed with your new Office software:
Help - You will need to download the Help tab add-in. This feature no longer includes the animated Office Assistant and the "type a question for help" box has been moved to the Help window and is now called "type words to search for." Microsoft has also set up blogs and online communities to help you find answers to your Word questions.
For Microsoft's free, downloadable training documents for Office 2007 programs, click here. Courses are in Power Point
Microsoft has a great interactive guide that demonstrates how you can find the commands you are familiar with in Office 2003 in the new Office 2010 programs.
For downloadable Office 2010 training documents, click here. Courses are in Power Point.
MORE OFFICE TIPS
Automatically start an Office program when you turn on your computer (2007 / 2010)
Download compatibility packs and viewers that enable you to share your Office files with others that have different versions of Office or those that do not have Office at all
We hope these tips help you get off to a productive start with your new Microsoft Office programs. Be sure to check back this week for more posts to help you get acquainted with the various software programs within the Office 2007 and Office 2010 suites.
New Millennium Computers is offering a FREE 8GB Flash Drive to the 50th person to leave a comment on our blog post "Protect your children while they are online" telling us what they are doing to keep themselves safe while browsing online.
We look forward to hearing your stories!
Please note that anonymous comments cannot be counted for each comment as we will need a way to notify the winner of the flash drive.
Craving more memory for your PC, mobile phone or mp3 player?
Scientists at Rice are hoping to manipulate nanotechnology first discovered in the 1960's to pack more memory into our computers and other devices without requiring more space. Fast Company's Kit Eaton, suggests that earpiece-sized cellphones or wristwatch supercomputers could be on the horizon with the prospect of shrinking memory combined with already shrinking microprocessors! What kinds of gadgets can you imagine being developed using this technology?
Facebook already allows us to subscribe to status updates via SMS. Now, Facebook is testing a new "Subscribe to" feature among a small number of users. The feature allows a user to be notified of all actions such as status updates or photo uploads of another user or a business page. This is separate from your news feed which shows only top news or the most recent activities of your friends and business pages that you like. Fast Company goes as far as saying that this new feature is "stalker-friendly" when applied to personal pages. AllFacebook suggests that this feature is best suited for business pages only. With all the recent backlash against Facebook regarding privacy, let's hope Facebook chooses not to roll-out this feature for individual users and limit it to business pages.
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Building a mailing list is key to executing a successful email marketing strategy for your business. If you have set-up a business page on Facebook and are looking to engage with those users that have "liked" your page outside of Facebook, you can ask those users to sign up for your compnay's mailing list directly from Facebook.
Email marketing service, Constant Contact, has made it easy for their subscribers to add an opt-in tab to their Facebook pages with a dedicated application, details are here Look for other email marketing services to follow suit!
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Parents, NMC wants to make you aware of another internet safety issue. Cyberbullying or online social cruelty or electronic bullying is a growing problem where individuals are harassed, embarrassed or threatened online or via text message. This problem is prevalent among teens but adults may find themselves victim of this type of bullying as well.
Below is some information from the National Crime Prevention Council describing the various forms of cyberbullying that teens may encounter and how it can be prevented:
How Are Teens Cyberbullied?
Being a victim of cyberbullying can be a common and painful experience. Some youth who cyberbully
* Pretend they are other people online to trick others
* Spread lies and rumors about victims
* Trick people into revealing personal information
* Send or forward mean text messages
* Post pictures of victims without their consent
When teens were asked why they think others cyberbully, 81 percent said that cyberbullies think it’s funny. Other teens believe that youth who cyberbully
* Don’t think it’s a big deal
* Don’t think about the consequences
* Are encouraged by friends
* Think everybody cyberbullies
* Think they won’t get caught
How Do Victims React?
Contrary to what cyberbullies may believe, cyberbullying is a big deal, and can cause a variety of reactions in teens. Some teens have reacted in positive ways to try to prevent cyberbullying by
* Blocking communication with the cyberbully
* Deleting messages without reading them
* Talking to a friend about the bullying
* Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator
Many youth experience a variety of emotions when they are cyberbullied. Youth who are cyberbullied report feeling angry, hurt, embarrassed, or scared. These emotions can cause victims to react in ways such as
* Seeking revenge on the bully
* Avoiding friends and activities
* Cyberbullying back
Some teens feel threatened because they may not know who is cyberbullying them. Although cyberbullies may think they are anonymous, they can be found. If you are cyberbullied or harassed and need help, save all communication with the cyberbully and talk to a parent, teacher, law enforcement officer, or other adult you trust.
How Can I Prevent Cyberbullying?
Teens have figured out ways to prevent cyberbullying. Follow in the footsteps of other quick-thinking teens and
* Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages
* Tell friends to stop cyberbullying
* Block communication with cyberbullies
* Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
You can also help prevent cyberbullying by
* Speaking with other students, as well as teachers and school
administrators, to develop rules against cyberbullying
* Raising awareness of the cyberbullying problem in your community
by holding an assembly and creating fliers to give to younger
kids or parents
* Sharing NCPC’s anti-cyberbullying message with friends
Don’t forget that even though you can’t see a cyberbully or the bully’s victim, cyberbullying causes real problems. If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online. Delete cyberbullying. Don’t write it. Don’t forward it.
* 15% said they had been cyberbullied online
* 10% had been cyberbullied by cell phone
* 7% said they had cyberbullied another person online
* 5% had cyberbullied another person by cell phone
In this video, Aaron Kenny of InternetSafety.com is interviewed about cyberbullying and suggests that limiting the amount of time teens spend online could help in preventing this type of behavior. He also recommends that victims of online cyberbullying should contact the administrator of the website where any negative information is posted to ask that it be flagged and reviewed to determine if it should be taken down.
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New Millennium Computers is always happy to share each week the latest tech tips and news of things happening in technology here is this weeks tech tips and news.
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New Millennium Computers would like to share tech news and tips in this blog post please feel free to click on the following links for tech tips and news involving technology.
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By now, many professionals are using of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to reach clients, network with industry peers and market their businesses. But they can also tap into many niche social networking sites that cater to individuals based on interest or profession.
Here is a list of just a few of the social networking sites specifically for real estate professionals:
* Real Town - For consumers looking for buyer and seller information and real estate professional seeking resources and networking opportunities
* Active Rain - A social network and marketing site
* RealEstateVoices - A social real estate news site
* Zolve - Connect buyers, sellers and owners with information provided by real estate professionals
* Broker Agent Social - "A peer to peer community open to real estate professionals of all types: Real Estate Sales, Mortgage, Title, and all those who provide support to the Real Estate Industry"
These numbers are staggering! More importantly, they represent the number of people that are a potential audience for your business if you use one of these sites. But is social media the right avenue to engage with your current clients and promote your brand to gain new clients?
While a social media strategy may not be right for every business, there are many that can positively measure the impact of a Facebook page or Twitter account on their bottom lines! Erik Qualman gives some great examples of businesses (large and small) that had great success using social media in his video Social Media ROI: Socialnomics. The New York Times also tells us some success stories of small businesses who saw a great return on investment from their Twitter marketing efforts.
If your company has a small (or non-existent) ad budget, social media may be the answer. Most social networking sites are free to use so for only the cost of your time, devoting a few minutes a day to "tweet" on Twitter, post an informative blog relevant to your product/service or share interesting links or photos on Facebook can result in increased exposure for your company and increased sales. So are you ready to embrace social media for your business?!
NMC has gone social, follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook)
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Google continues to roll out improvements for it's Gmail service. With the many capabilities of Gmail, here are some tips to help you maximize the use of your account:
Priority Inbox - A newly launched feature, Google uses it's spam filtering technology to determine which messages are most important. You can also "train" the filter by using the "+" or "-" buttons in your Priority Inbox to tell Gmail which messages are/ are not important to you.
Buzz - Google's foray into location-based social-networking. You can post status updates and share links, photos and videos with other Gmail users. Buzz may also be accessible on your web enabled cell phone.
GMail Plus addressing - A great tool for managing your inbox. You can add a "+" and any combination of words to your Gmail address, i.e., gmailer+mailinglist@gmail.com when signing up for emailing mailing lists. Emails to your "+" address will be delivered to your gmailer@gmail.com inbox but you can label, star, archive or delete using filters for the different versions of your address. This is particularly helpful when a service that has your "+" email address has shared/sold your email address to another mailing list - you can set a filter to auto-delete the unwanted messages.
Multiple account sign-in - Another new feature - if you have more than one Google account (not just Gmail), you can enable multiple sign-in in your settings. The first account that you sign-in to will be the default account for your browser session. You may be signed-in to up to three accounts simultaneously using the same browser session. Caution: if you sign-out of any one account, you will be signed out of all accounts
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As a follow up to our post on online safety for children, we want to share a link to noslang.com, a website that lists the meanings of many of the terms teens while texting on their cell phones or chatting online. This is a useful tool for parents who often do not understand the acronyms and abbreviations that teens are using to communicate with each other and possibly using to disguise questionable or even dangerous activities from their parents.
